Church of England Record Society

The British Delegation and the Synod of Dort, 1618-19, edited by Anthony Milton.

The Synod of Dort was one of the most important gatherings of Protestant divines ever assembled. Summoned to resolve doctrinal disputes in the Netherlands, the synod involved theologians from a number of countries, Britain included. The precise role played by delegates of the Church of England at the synod has been the subject of intense disagreement ever since. Drawing on new sources discovered in English and Dutch archives, this volume provides a wide-ranging collection of edited documents, many not previously published, which make it possible for the first time to construct a fully contextualized account of the role played by the British delegates. The book tackles the political and theological background to the synod, the submissions of the British delegation on issues ranging from predestination and episcopacy to catechizing and biblical translation, and also the aftermath of the synod and the later defences of it by the British delegates. The primary source material is placed in context by a substantial introduction, which argues for a major reassessment of the role of the British divines, and emphasizes the importance of the synod in facilitating the study of the interaction of British and continental thinkers at a vital period in the emergence of an 'Anglican' identity.

Dr Anthony Milton is Reader in History at the University of Sheffield.

ISBN 1 84383 157 0. Price: £60 (members: £30).

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